Guardian Ad Litem, Speak Up for Kids MonthPROCLAMATION
VILLAGE OF NORTH PALM BEACH
OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
GUARDIAN AD LITEM, SPEAK UP FOR KIDS MONTH
WHEREAS, the Guardian Ad Litem Program is a force of volunteers who advocate on behalf of children
who have been abused, neglected, or abandoned by their caregivers; and
WHEREAS, Speak Up for Kids of Palm Beach County serves as exclusive nonprofit support funding
wellness, normalcy, and therapeutic initiatives for children in care; and
WHEREAS, in 1984, Palm Beach County adopted the program and began with 15 volunteers and
currently has a corps of close to 700 volunteers serving the nearly 1,600 children in care; and
WHEREAS, in 2008, Speak Up for Kids of Palm Beach County was founded to fund gaps in needed
services for child victims served by the Guardian ad Litem Program; and
WHEREAS, to illustrate the magnitude of the financial benefit of the collaboration between the Guardian
Ad Litem Program and Speak Up for Kids brings to Florida, the services donated by Guardians across the
state save Florida over $18M in salaries and mileage reimbursement costs. That is greater than $1 M for
Palm Beach County alone. The Guardian Ad Litem Program and Speak Up for Kids are making an impact
in children's lives, and the return on investment the program brings to the county is unparalleled; and
WHEREAS, in 2020, Speak Up. for Kids of Palm Beach County adapted in the height of the COVID
pandemic to expand service capacity in the areas of feeding, clothing and providing extended support to
further fill in local service gaps and lessen the impact on vulnerable children; and
WHEREAS, the Village of North Palm Beach is a dynamic, multicultural city serving as home to both
young families and those looking to retire; and
WHEREAS, the Guardian Ad Litem Program and Speak Up for Kids are hereby recognized for their joint
efforts and successes in standing united to ensure local children thrive; and
NOW, THEREFORE, 1, Darryl Aubrey, by virtue of the authority vested in me as Mayor of the Village of
North Palm Beach, do hereby proclaim May 2021 as:
GUARDIAN AD LITEM, SPEAK UP FOR KIDS MONTH
in the Village of North Palm Beach, Florida.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the Village of North Palm
Beach to be affixed this 19th day of April, 2021.
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